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University of Delaware
PHYS207 Honors
Fundamentals of Physics I
Maurice Barnhill
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Projects
There should be three people per group, although a few exceptions
for adequate reasons are acceptable. Two-person groups are
discouraged so that we will have time for in-class reports from all
groups. We will set up the groups in class on November 4, and I
would like for each group to have chosen a project to work on by
November 9 if possible.
No more than two groups should be working on the same project, and
they should work separately except for sharing useful references.
Carry the project as far as you can in a reasonable amount of time.
When you are done, jointly write a report and prepare a classroom
presentation of your results. I am most impressed by projects that
show that you have integrated material from more than one source or
have worked out something on your own; mere book reviews are
unimpressive. You should properly document information you get from
books or other people. Projects are due Monday of the last week of
classes, and presentations will be made on that day and the following
Wednesday.
It is better that you do a project of your own invention, but you
should talk to me about the project first. I will veto suggestions
only with extreme reluctance, safety considerations being the most
likely cause of disapproval. However, if you do an experimental
project, you must convince me that the project is feasible before
making any measurements. Finding a situation in your own major
where physics is used is one source of good ideas, and some
suggestions follow. In any project worth doing you are likely to
have to talk to me more or less frequently for suggestions and
comments.
Suggestions
- Determine the shape of the earth either by calculation or by
finding appropriate data in a handbook.
- Analyze an automobile collision from a police report. I will give
you data.
- Find the trajectory for changing a satellite's orbit from one
circle to another circle with minimum expenditure of energy. I have
a computer program that simulates orbits and might help with this problem.
- Find out how the GPS [global positioning satellite] system
works.
- Analyze the change in apparent direction of the swinging of a
pendulum as the earth rotates below it.
- Analyze (presumably numerically) the flight of a baseball or other
interesting object, taking into account air resistance.
- Explain quantitatively why there are two tides per day and not
just one.
- Analyze the motion of a bicycle. You could look at stability or
at the effect of air resistance on the maximum speed possible.
- Analyze the flight of a frisbee or a boomerang.
- Write a computer program exploring some significant part of
physics. [Something similar to the flight of a baseball suggested above,
neural nets, chaos, ...]
Go to project bibliography